Ever since his earliest days as a Trail Blazer, point guard Damian Lillard hasn't been shy about sharing his desire to play his entire career in Portland. It's one of the reasons why he signed an extension early when he likely could have held out for more money had he waited. Despite regular overtures from fans of other teams, Lillard has been steadfast in proclaiming that Portland is his place and the Trail Blazers are his team.
So when asked about the notion of "super teams" in the NBA on SiriusXM radio, it's no surprise that Lillard, in no uncertain terms, declared that leaving a good situation to join up with a collection of superstars is not something he would consider.
"If somebody wants to go join people and do that, it’s not against the rules, they can do it," said Lillard. "It’s just more pressure to win when you do it. Some people say ‘Ah, they just joining up, they had to do this to win it,’ but we play to win it. So when people do it, that’s they decisions. I wouldn’t do it, that’s just not who I am. I might have too much pride for that or be too much of a competitor where I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It also makes it more fun. You get to take a monster down and that’s always fun."
Both sentiments are what makes Lillard the perfect leader for a young, up-and-coming Trail Blazers team.